29 October 2001
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_________________________________
26 October 2001
(Afghanistan neighbors agree to aid relief efforts) (2750)
Turkmenistan has agreed to allow relief agencies to work in its area
bordering Afghanistan, according to the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID.)
In an October 26 fact sheet, USAID said press reports indicate that
Uzbekistan will allow cross-border deliveries of humanitarian
assistance. The fact sheet states that two other countries, Kyrgystan
and Tajikistan, have agreed to keep their supply routes leading to
Afghanistan passable for use in transporting aid.
Between October 19 and 21 an estimated 15,000 Afghans crossed into
Pakistan with an equal number waiting on the Afghan side of the border
to cross, according to the fact sheet. An increasing flow of people
fleeing their homes is also reaching Afghanistan's border with Iran.
The fact sheet says relief agencies are considering using the southern
Uzbekistan border city Termez to stage humanitarian assistance
efforts.
Following is the October 25 USAID fact sheet:
(begin text)
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID)
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
Central Asia Region -- Complex Emergency
Situation Report #4, Fiscal Year (FY 2002), October 25, 2001
Note: this Situation Report updates previous Central Asia Task Force
Situation Reports and Fact Sheets.
Background
Two decades of war in Afghanistan, including a decade-long Soviet
occupation and ensuing civil strife, have left Afghanistan
impoverished and mired in an extended humanitarian crisis. Government
infrastructure, including the ability to deliver the most basic
health, education, and other social services, has collapsed.
Significant resources are directed to the war effort. Severe
restrictions by the Taliban, including a restriction on women working
outside the home, have added to the impact of poverty, particularly on
the many households lacking able-bodied adult men. The Taliban
controls about 90 percent of Afghanistan's territory.
Humanitarian prospects worsened sharply in Afghanistan in September
2001 due to developments both inside and outside the country. Osama
bin Laden, who resides in Afghanistan under Taliban protection, is the
leading suspect in the September 11 terrorist attack against the
United States. Fears of a U.S. reprisal triggered a population exodus
from major Afghan cities, both towards other points in Afghanistan and
towards the country's borders. The beginning of U.S. air strikes on
October 7 caused additional movement. International staff of all
relief agencies withdrew after September 11. Even prior to the
September 11 there were signs that relations between the international
community and the Taliban were worsening significantly. These new
developments added to an existing crisis of extensive displacement
stemming from civil conflict and a debilitating three-year drought.
Afghanistan Numbers Affected at a Glance
Total population (CIA Factbook) 26,813,057
Refugees Since September 11, 2001 (UNHCR)
Pakistan 60,000
Iran Unknown
Refugees Since September 2000 (UNHCR)
Pakistan 152,000
Old Caseload Refugees (UNHCR)
Iran 1,500,000
Pakistan 2,000,000
Internally Displaced (U.N.)
Since September 11, 2001 180,000
Since 2000 1,100,000
Old caseload 1,000,000
Total FY 2001/2002 U.S. Government (USG) Assistance to Afghanistan
$258,525,475
Total FY 2001/2002 USG Assistance to Tajikistan $68,208,180
Current Situation
Overview. Efforts to bring food to Afghanistan's population continued
to gather pace, both through steadily increasing overland food aid
deliveries and through continued air drops of humanitarian daily
rations (HDRs) conducted by U.S. military planes. U.S.-led airstrikes
against Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorist facilities continued for a
third week, and reports indicated that Taliban forces in urban areas
were dispersing into residential neighborhoods and occupying homes in
an effort to hide among civilian populations. Meanwhile, The U.N. Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned of a broader region-wide
crisis as a result of instability and drought.
Political/Military. On October 24, more than 1,000 Afghan leaders
gathered in Peshawar, Pakistan to discuss the establishment of a
broad-based government in the event of a Taliban collapse. The
difficulty of such an undertaking was highlighted by reports that key
political figures, including representatives of Zahir Shah, the exiled
former Afghan monarch based in Rome, did not attend the gathering.
Although previous reports had indicated that Northern Alliance forces
were poised to seize control of the key northern city of
Mazar-e-Sharif, strong Taliban resistance held the opposition at bay
through the week. Reports from inside the city indicated that fears of
ground fighting reaching the city had subsided.
Food Security and Food Aid. On October 25, FAO reiterated a warning
that Afghanistan faces famine if adequate food aid is not delivered,
and also warned that the current crisis of displacement is coinciding
with the fall planting season, meaning that crops next year will be
adversely effected. In addition, FAO warned that the entire region is
facing the consequences of a debilitating three-year drought. Wheat
production is down 70 percent below the five-year average in Pakistan.
In Iran, rural and urban populations alike are affected by acute water
shortages for both drinking and agricultural use. In Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan, the two main rivers are far below normal levels, with
grain output expected to be dramatically reduced. Turkmenistan is also
affected. FAO warned that in Pakistan and Iran, diminished resources
due the drought are seriously compromising the ability to cope with
any new refugee influx.
As of October 24, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) had sufficient
food aid stocks in Afghanistan and the region to feed more than 5.6
million people for one month (see table). WFP reported October 24 that
despite the ongoing conflict it has increased daily food transport
into Afghanistan to 2,000 MT [metric tons], putting it on target for
the 53,000 MT per month that WFP estimates will be necessary to feed
Afghanistan's most vulnerable populations through the winter. WFP
reported that in the last seven days, it had brought food in to
Afghanistan sufficient to feed two million people.
WFP has signed agreements with 19 non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) with capacity to operate in rural areas. The NGOs will
distribute the food to local beneficiaries after WFP delivers it. WFP
has shifted its strategy towards shipping food stocks directly to
rural areas rather than using urban warehouses as hubs. The strategy
shift was prompted by last week's Taliban seizure of two key
warehouses in Kabul and Kandahar containing more than half WFP's food
stocks. Although the Taliban returned the Kabul warehouse to WFP, at
last account, the Taliban still had not relinquished control of the
Kandahar warehouse in Kandahar.
WFP is rapidly moving to preposition food in the central Hazarajat
region and the Panjshir Valley. Both of these mountainous regions
become inaccessible due to snow after mid-November. WFP hopes to
preposition more than 22,000 MT in the Hazarajat and 6,000 MT in the
Panjshir. WFP has estimated that up to two million people in these two
regions could run out of food by December without prepositioning. WFP
is currently considering the possibility of airdropping up to 5,000 MT
of food in these areas if it does not reach its goals before roads
become inaccessible. Other areas, including Kandahar in the south and
Mazar-e-Sharif and Andkhoi in the north, are expected to remain
accessible through the winter.
Current WFP Food Aid Stocks
Location Quantity (MT)
Afghanistan 11,035
Region 35,886
Total 46,921
Logistics. Relief agencies are considering using the Uzbekistan border
city of Termez as a staging area for humanitarian aid. Termez provides
access to Afghanistan's Northern Region via bridge and barge crossings
over the Amu Darya River. October 25 press reports indicated that the
Government of Uzbekistan had agreed to allow access for cross-border
aid deliveries via barge. Uzbekistan closed the border at Termez after
the Taliban seized control of the nearby region in 1997. The area on
the Afghanistan side of the border remains under Taliban control, but
relief agencies hope to use local staff to deliver the aid once it
crosses the river.
As of October 25, the Government of Turkmenistan had also agreed to
allow relief agencies to work in the border region. Previously, this
area was designated as a military area and was closed. In addition,
WFP has reached agreement with authorities in Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan to keep supply routes into the northeastern province of
Badakhshan cleared of snow.
Pakistan. An influx of Afghans into Pakistan continued, bringing the
total number to between 50,000 and 60,000. From October 19 to October
21, an estimated 15,000 people crossed the border at Chaman near
Quetta, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
During the same period, UNHCR reported that up to 15,000 people were
waiting on the Afghan side of the border to cross. That population has
now sharply diminished; it is unclear from reports whether they were
part of the 15,000 who entered Pakistan. Some sources continue to
report that the total influx has been smaller.
Contingency campsite preparations continue in Pakistan. UNHCR is
preparing Killi Faizo, two kilometers from the Chaman border, as a
transit area to meet urgent humanitarian needs of recent arrivals.
UNHCR reported this week that two new refugee campsites are ready in
North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The Government of Pakistan has
indicated that 11 sites will be ready by the end of the month.
UNHCR Contingency Sites in Pakistan
Location Capacity Pop.
Roghani/Tor Tangi (Baluch.) 50,000
Killi Faizo (Baluch.) 10,000 250
Mohmand/Khyber (NWFP) 22,000
Iran. An increasing flow of new Afghans has been arriving near Iran's
borders. On the evening of October 24 and early morning of October 25,
some 2,000 new Afghans arrived at the Iranian border, according to a
UNHCR source cited by Agence France-Presse. The IDPs were moved to the
Iranian Government/Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS)-administered
site at Makaki, in a Taliban-controlled area of Nimroz province.
Another 544 Afghans are at the Mile 46 campsite, in Northern
Alliance-controlled territory, according to UNOCHA (U.N. Office of the
Commissioner for Human Rights). Some 1,200 people have arrived inside
Iran at Zaranj, according to UNOCHA.
Iran/IRCS IDP Sites in Afghanistan
Location Capacity Population
Makaki (Nimroz) 7,000 3,740
Mile 46 544
Total 4,284
Afghanistan. UNOCHA estimated that there are 180,000 internally
displaced in Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. This adds to a
population displaced in the last year of up to 1.1 million, according
to the U.N. The U.N. reported that most of the new internally
displaced population are from the Central and Eastern Regions,
particularly Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Kabul, Kapisa, Paktia, and
Khost.
Although reports of an increasing breakdown of law and order inside
Afghanistan continued, a few reports from the Northern Region bucked
the trend. On October 25, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
reported that all cars seized by the Taliban were returned in Ghazni.
Two International Organization for Migration (IOM) vehicles were also
recovered in Mazar-e-Sharif. Also in Mazar-e-Sharif, several NGOs have
been able to re-open offices due to improved security, according to an
October 25 UNOCHA report. Conversely, in the northern province of
Kunduz, UNOCHA reported October 25 that IOM operations remained
suspended. Armed men had previously blocked IOM efforts in Kunduz,
where the situation has been described as very tense. The security
situation continued to deteriorate in the southern city of Kandahar.
USG Humanitarian Assistance
Background.
On October 4, President George W. Bush announced a $320 million
assistance program for Afghanistan. Funding will support assistance to
Afghans both inside and outside Afghanistan's borders, with support
for food and a wide variety of other relief needs.
On October 4, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
Christina B. Rocca redeclared a complex humanitarian disaster in
Afghanistan for FY 2002. To date, FY 2001 and FY 2002 USG humanitarian
assistance for Afghans provided by USAID/OFDA, USAID/FFP,
USAID/Democracy and Governance (DG), USDA, the Department of State's
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM), the
Department of State/Department of Defense Demining Program, the
Department of State's Bureau International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs (State/INL) and the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) totals $258,525,475, including both assistance inside
Afghanistan and assistance to Afghan refugees in neighboring
countries.
In Tajikistan, On October 10, 2001, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires James A.
Boughner declared a disaster due to drought, and requested funds for a
seed and fertilizer distribution program. USAID/OFDA responded by
providing $998,180 through the U.S. Embassy to CARE for the purchase
and distribution of winter wheat seeds and fertilizer.
USAID/OFDA Assistance
Personnel
USAID/OFDA is deploying personnel to Uzbekistan to assess humanitarian
activities and logistical capacity in the area.
To respond to the Afghanistan crisis, USAID/OFDA deployed DART to
Pakistan on June 17. The DART continues to operate in Islamabad. The
DART is coordinating with the Pakistan-based Afghanistan relief
community, including USG partners.
In April 2001, USAID/OFDA and State/PRM deployed an assessment team to
western and northern Afghanistan including Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif to
assess drought and nutrition conditions in affected areas.
Airlifts and Commodities - FY 2002
Airlift to Islamabad. On October 23, Bear McConnell, Director of the
USAID Central Asia Task Force, arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan aboard a
U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane carrying 20,400 blankets from
USAID/OFDA stockpiles. An additional 15,000 blankets arrived via
commercial transport October 25. The blankets will be provided to
UNHCR as a contingency for a possible refugee influx. Value including
transport. $312,350
Health Kits to Pakistan. USAID/OFDA is providing five health kits to
UNICEF in Islamabad as an in-kind contribution. The health kits can
support a population of 10,000 for up to three months. $29,415
Airlift to Turkmenistan. Two chartered planes carrying 1,000 rolls of
plastic sheeting for emergency shelter arrived in Ashgabat October 18
and were consigned to UNICEF. Value includes transport. $403,200
New Grants -- FY 2002 (Afghanistan)
IOM -- support for distribution of food and non-food relief
commodities in Badghis, Faryab, and Balkh provinces. $562,313
Grants -- FY 2002 (Afghanistan)
ACTED -- pre-positioning of food and non-food emergency relief items
in northeastern Afghanistan. $5,500,000
ACTED -- IDP camp management and support in Baghlan. $630,000
FAO -- seed multiplication. $300,000
GOAL -- food, shelter, water/sanitation, and winterization in Samangan
and Jozjan Provinces. $5,500,000
International Medical Corps (IMC) -- health assistance for IDPs and
local residents in Herat. $735,000
UNICEF -- nutrition surveillance, health, and water/sanitation
activities country-wide. $1,650,000
Save the Children (SC)/US -- nutrition surveillance in northern
Afghanistan.
$206,488
SC/US -- food programs in Faryab and Sar-e-Pul, and emergency heating
for hospitals in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif. $2,000,000
UNOCHA -- humanitarian coordination. $2,500,000
UNICEF -- Water and Environmental Sanitation activities.
$2,500,000
ICRC -- support for pre-positioning and mobilization of food and
non-food stocks for use within Afghanistan in addressing the needs of
540,000 drought and war-displaced people, as well as support for
airlifts $2,500,000
WFP -- support for a Joint Logistics Center and humanitarian air
operations.
$2,500,000
Total USAID/OFDA FY 2002 $27,828,766
Grants -- FY 2002 (Tajikistan)
CARE -- purchase and distribution of winter wheat seeds and
fertilizer, benefiting an estimated 4,500 drought-affected families.
Total USAID/OFDA Tajikistan FY 2002 $998,180
USAID/FFP
FY 2002
WFP -- 72,700 MT of P.L. 480 Title II wheat and complementary
commodities.
Total USAID/FFP FY 2002 $38,555,000
State/PRM
Note: State/PRM funds listed reflect actual contributions to the
listed agencies. Plans for funding are not included until funds have
been obligated.
UNHCR -- Contingency planning for establishment of basic
infrastructure in sectors in water, sanitation, shelter and health,
and camp management in identified potential refugee sites.
Total State/PRM FY 2002 $10,000,000
Department of Defense (DOD)
Between October 7 and October 24, DOD dropped 821,880 humanitarian
daily rations (HDRs), valued at $4.30 each, into Afghanistan.
Total DOD FY 2002 $3,534,084
USG ASSISTANCE -- AFGHANISTAN
FY 2001
Note: detailed breakdowns of FY 2001 assistance are available in
previous Central Asia Region Situation Reports.
Total USAID/OFDA
................................................................$12,599,441
Total USAID/FFP
................................................................$31,200,000
Total USAID/DG
...................................................................$310,000
Total USDA
................................................................$99,800,000
Total State/PRM................................................
$29,828,659
Total State/HDP.................................................
$2,800,000
Total State/INL
.................................................................$1,500,000
Total CDC.........................................................
$569,525
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance FY 2001. . . . . . . . . . .
$178,607,625
FY 2002
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan FY 2002. . . .
$79,917,850
FY 2001/2002
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan FY 2001/2002.
$258,525,475
USG ASSISTANCE -- TAJIKISTAN
Total USG Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2001. . . . . . . . . ..
$67,210,000
Note: FY 2001 USG assistance to Tajikistan included assistance through
USAID/OFDA, USAID/FFP, USDA, the Department of State, and Freedom
Support Act funds administered through a variety of agencies.
Total USAID/OFDA Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2002. . . . . . . . .
$998,180
Total USG Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2001/2002. . . . . . . .
$68,208,180
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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26 October 2001
Afghanistan Neighbors Helpful With Relief, USAID Official Says
(Meets in Pakistan with relief agency representatives) (620)
By Kathryn McConnell
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The countries bordering Afghanistan are being "very
helpful" to efforts to get humanitarian assistance to that country,
says a senior U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
official just back from the region.
Bernd McConnell, director of USAID's Central Asian Task Force, said
one purpose of his 40-hour visit to Pakistan earlier in the week was
to deliver via military and commercial transport 35,000 blankets --
the number requested by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR).
In an October 26 briefing at the State Department's Foreign Press
Center, McConnell said another purpose was to talk with
representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and U.N.
agencies about specific needs of people in Afghanistan.
In Pakistan McConnell also announced the delivery of five medical kits
that can serve up to 50,000 people for three months. He said
cooperation between USAID and the Defense Department in getting
assistance to points where it can be turned over to relief agencies
for distribution "underscores to me the fact that this is a
government-wide effort."
He added that the military had used USAID's suggestions on where to
drop emergency meal packages.
McConnell said the United States appreciates Pakistanis for "their
generosity and willingness to support" a fluctuating Afghan refugee
population of approximately three million for several years.
He said Uzbekistan's recently announced willingness to open its border
with northern Afghanistan to allow the transfer of assistance "can
address 40 percent of the food needs in Afghanistan" because the most
vulnerable groups of Afghans are in the north. He added that USAID is
also working with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan so that food aid can
flow through those countries. He added, however, that Afghanistan's
neighbors "are reluctant to throw open their borders" to refugees
because they also have been affected by several years of drought.
The official added that there has been "excellent cooperation" between
the World Food Program (WFP) -- the United States' major food relief
partner -- and Iran on getting food to Afghanistan's western border.
Afghan employees of the United Nations and NGOs are doing "excellent
work" getting relief food and materials to the most vulnerable people
in Afghanistan. He said Afghan staffers are working under "very
difficult conditions" including harassment by the Taliban. He added
there have been no reports of Taliban placing people "inside the aid
network."
McConnell reiterated a point made by some NGO officials in Washington
the previous day that there is communication between Afghan staff and
expatriate staff of their parent organizations in neighbor countries.
The number of Afghans leaving their homes is fewer than earlier
predicted, McConnell said. He said there have been reports that people
in Afghanistan "have started to realize the [military] targeting is
fairly precise and that they are able to live and operate sort of
around it because they know that they're not the targets." He added
that people are better off "staying where they are" because movement
by already undernourished people can be "debilitating."
With impending winter that could lay 20 to 30 feet of snow in northern
Afghanistan making many roads impassable, the need to get more food
into the country is "urgent," McConnell said. He added that USAID and
WFP are considering developing their own air-and-land and air-drop
systems of getting food and supplies into the country.
McConnell concluded by saying that more USAID staffers are being
dispatched to Uzbekistan to help coordinate humanitarian assistance
efforts for Afghanistan.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Website:
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25 October 2001
Relief Agencies Report Getting Aid Into Afghanistan
(Say time running out to get in enough before winter) (770)
By Kathryn McConnell
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- International relief agencies are working around various
obstacles to get food, shelter and sanitation assistance to people in
Afghanistan and in refugee camps in northwest Pakistan, some
non-governmental organization officials say.
Up to 7.5 million Afghans will need food and shelter assistance this
winter, Mark Bartolini, an International Rescue Committee (IRC) vice
president, said at an October 25 Migration Policy Institute forum on
the situation in Afghanistan.
He said that nongovernmental organizations are bringing in food and
materials by land from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan but that "time is running out" to get enough assistance to
the people who need it before winter sets in, particularly in the
colder highland areas.
Bartolini said that the amount needed to stave off famine in the short
term is 52,000 metric tons of food but that food is now arriving only
at the rate of 1,000 tons a month.
Urs Boegli, head of the North American delegation of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said at the forum that although all
ICRC expatriate staff were withdrawn from Afghanistan September 16
after two decades of working in the country, they and staff in other
neighboring countries are in contact with 1,000 Afghan employees
distributing assistance to families of persons with disabilities.
Boegli said, however, that because Afghan ICRC employees' phone calls
are "supervised" and because of logistics problems "our relief
operation is not yet what we want. It is patchy." He said that as
security in Afghanistan continues to degrade, his colleagues find it
difficult to tell how much control local staff have over ICRC's
remaining stock in country. He added that until more assistance gets
into Afghanistan, the ICRC is keeping what it does have for the most
vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, sick people
and people with disabilities, and not for massive distributions.
Boegli said relief groups are using commercial trucks and even donkeys
to transport materials. He added that "as the situation evolves" and
more is known about the condition of airstrips in Afghanistan, aid
agencies may conduct airlifts of materials and "low-level" food drops.
He cautioned that one danger of high-altitude drops in largely rural
areas is recipients' exposure to a multitude of landmines.
Bartolini reported that 500 to 1,000 refugees a day are crossing into
northwest Pakistan, with spikes immediately after heavy bombing. He
said problems with refugee camps include very low water tables in the
region requiring drilling as deep as 1,000 feet to locate well water.
Some local tribal leaders want to limit the size of camps, he said,
and require that all aid coming into the camps go through them.
People coming into "established" refugee camps to join their families
are putting pressure on education and health services, added Sippi
Azberbaijani-Moghaddam, technical adviser for the Women's Commission
for Refugee Women and Children based in Peshawar, Pakistan. She noted
that child labor is a "big problem" in the camps.
Afghan women refugees and those who are internally displaced face
particular difficulties accessing assistance services, said
Azberbaijani-Moghaddam. According to the World Bank, 88 percent of
Afghan women are illiterate and thus cannot read the forms required to
receive aid, Azberbaijani-Moghaddam said. They then must depend on
others for help completing forms, others who then may expect payment
in food rations or sexual favors, she said. Many northern women who
speak Uzbek also have problems communicating with the mostly Dari- or
Pashtu-speaking aid workers, she said.
Azberbaijani-Moghaddam added that women in refugee camps also face
domestic violence from both men and women, asserting that widows are
sometimes considered financial burdens by other members of the family.
Women-led organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan are providing
services to Afghan women sometimes more effectively than organizations
led by men, she said. She added that the Women's Commission is
developing a list of women's organizations and individuals who can be
contacted when other agencies begin to plan strategy for the next
stage of the humanitarian assistance process and for cooperation with
a new Afghan government.
The IRC's Bartolini said that while agencies are already thinking
about post-conflict forms of assistance, such as seeds for farmers and
food for work programs, the focus now is on "immediate needs."
"There is a strong case to be made for renewing a strong international
[humanitarian assistance] effort," the ICRC's Boegli added.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
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25 October 2001
Fact Sheet: Humanitarian Aid to the Afghan People as of 10/24
(Issued by State's Office of International Information Programs)
(1000)
(begin fact sheet)
This fact sheet outlines the efforts as of October 24, 2001, to
provide relief assistance to the Afghan people while the United States
and its allies conduct military operations against the Al Qaida
terrorists and the Taliban regime which shelters them in Afghanistan.
The U.S. Leads International Relief Aid to Afghans
-- The United States leads the international community in providing
relief aid to the Afghan people inside their country and in the
refugee populations in the border areas of neighboring countries.
-- More than 80 percent of all food shipments sent to Afghanistan
through the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) originates in the
U.S.
-- Some 34 U.S. non-governmental relief organizations are engaged in
providing humanitarian relief to the Afghan people.
-- America has resolved to remain the leading food donor to the Afghan
people.
A Tradition of Humanitarian Aid to Afghans
-- The United States has been providing humanitarian assistance to the
people of Afghanistan for many years. The U.S and Japan were the
leading contributors to the umbrella UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan when it was established in
1988. At that time, the major focus was on eliminating an estimated 10
million land-mines which littered the Afghan landscape and barred
efforts to help Afghanistan's reconstruction and development.
-- In the early 1990s, the U.S. became a major contributor to the UN
Development Program (UNDP), which sought to implement an ambitious
plan for the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.
-- But two decades of internecine war, three years of severe drought,
and five years of Taliban misrule have created a humanitarian crisis
in which Afghans face starvation. Millions have have fled to several
neighboring countries.
-- In early October, the U.S. stepped up the level of its humanitarian
aid to Afghanistan. On October 4, President Bush announced the
allocation of an additional $320 million for more food and more
medicine to help the innocent people of Afghanistan deal with the
coming winter. "This," said the president, "is our way of saying that
while we firmly and strongly oppose the Taliban regime, we are friends
of the Afghan people."
Food for Afghans Delivered by Air and Over Land
-- As the U.S.-led coalition forces maintain their military operations
in Afghanistan, the United States presses on with its enhanced
humanitarian aid to suffering Afghans inside the country and in the
border areas of neighboring countries.
-- President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld have repeatedly
emphasized that humanitarian aid is another major goal of the U.S.
military action to uproot the terrorists and make their sponsors in
Afghanistan pay a heavy price.
-- By October 24, teams of Air Force C-17s have airdropped a total of
over 770,000 humanitarian daily rations (HDR) for Afghans facing
starvation, according to the Defense Department.
-- Contrary to Taliban disinformation, these packets contain balanced
and nourishing meals prepared carefully to provide Afghans with
adequate dietary rations, plus medical supplements. The Taliban's
reported destruction of some of these packets demonstrates the brutal
nature of that regime and its wanton disregard for the survival and
well-being of the Afghan people.
-- As soon as the U.S. forces secured dominance of the skies in
Afghanistan the week of October 7, food deliveries over land were
resumed. Today, overland food convoys are operating, battling tough
terrain, reported looting by Taliban elements, and mountain roads
blocked by snow. (WFP is buying 16 snowplows to clear roads, while
USAID is studying plans for possible airlifts, and the use of mules to
deliver food supplies).
-- In the last few days, the WFP, which receives large contributions
from the U.S., has increased its food deliveries to Afghanistan from
200 metric tons (MT) a day to 900 MTs, according to WFP Executive
Director Bertini on October 24.
-- Bertini expressed confidence that the deliveries could be
significantly increased. "In the next ten days," she noted, "we expect
to deliver 16,000 tons if all goes well."
-- Food deliveries will continue, and the international community aims
to transport nearly 400,000 tons of food into Afghanistan over the
next year, American and UN sources say.
U.S. Commitment to Helping the Afghan People is Unshakable
-- The United States has been the single largest donor of humanitarian
aid for Afghans for the past several years. In 2000, the United States
contributed a total of $113 million in humanitarian aid to Afghans,
both inside Afghanistan and in refugee camps in neighboring countries.
In 2001, the aid level has already exceeded $184, accounting for some
300,000 tons of food sent to Afghanistan this year.
-- On October 4, President Bush announced a new contribution of $320
million in humanitarian assistance to Afghans. This assistance
includes food, medicine, blankets and shelter.
-- On October 22, the U.S. announced an additional contribution of $10
million to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist
Afghan refugees fleeing to neighboring countries. This brings U.S.
contribution to the UNHCR to $14 million to date. These contributions
are part of the $320 million announced by President Bush October 4.
-- And on October 24, USAID awarded $26.5 million in grants to assist
the people of Afghanistan. The grants are for medical supplies,
shelter, and winterization assistance, water/sanitation projects,
complementary foods such as cooking oil, and logistical support,
according to a USAID press release.
-- These funds were budgeted before September 11 and are not part of
the $320 million allocation.
-- U.S. humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people derives from a
somber awareness of the plight of the Afghan people and a genuine
concern to help them in their time of need and adversity.
-- This concern is the reason why the United States has led the
international aid effort for Afghanistan, why the United States has
supplied more than 80 percent of all food sent to vulnerable Afghans
through the UN's World Food Program, and why the United States is
committed to remain the leading food donor to the Afghan people.
(end fact sheet)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=01102502.glt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
25 October 2001
Text: U.N. Food Agency Warns of Famine in Afghanistan
(Drought conditions diminish food supplies throughout Central Asia)
(1,330)
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that mass
starvation is possible in Afghanistan, with some 7.5 million people in
need of food aid. In a special report on Afghanistan and Central Asia
released October 25, the FAO says that the same three-year drought
that has diminished food stores in Afghanistan has caused seriously
reduced crop yields and depleted water supplies in neighboring
countries.
Beyond the immediate food crisis endangering Afghans, the planting
season is being disrupted by current instability. The FAO predicts
another poor harvest next year and a serious long-term need to
rehabilitate the overall national agricultural system.
The FAO document also surveys the effects of the drought in other
nations of the region:
-- Pakistan's cereal production is down about 13 percent from last
year's harvest.
-- In Iran, about 90 percent of the population has been affected by
the drought, "with acute scarcity of drinking water in both rural and
urban areas."
-- Food deficits are occurring in Tajikistan and the country's two
main rivers are flowing at about 50 percent of average levels.
-- Rivers are at about 40 percent of average flows in Uzbekistan.
Grain production will be 1 million tons less than the average yield.
The FAO report is available in full at
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/alertes/2001/SRAFGCen.htm
The full report is available in French and Spanish at
http://www.fao.org/giews
Following is the text of an FAO press release on the Special Report on
Afghanistan and Central Asia:
(begin text)
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
FAO WARNS OF FAMINE THREAT TO AFGHANISTAN WHILE FOOD SUPPLIES TIGHTEN
IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
Rome, 25 October 2001 -- The deepening food crisis in Afghanistan is
threatening Afghans with mass starvation, according a special report
released today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The report
warns that the food supply situation in countries bordering
Afghanistan is also seriously undermined by a prolonged drought. "This
year's food production in Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan has suffered a significant reduction due to serious
drought. The unfavorable food supply situation, which has prompted
emergency food assistance in some of these countries, therefore gives
little comfort to millions of displaced and resident Afghans who in
the past could meet part of their food needs with supplies from
neighboring countries."
Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been supporting
millions of refugees from past conflicts but their capacity to cope
with the new arrivals is seriously compromised due to insufficient
resources, the report says.
While the majority of Afghans are facing severe food supply
difficulties, some 7.5 million most affected people are in desperate
need of food aid. WFP plans to deliver 52,000 tones of food aid per
month to feed the most vulnerable people, both refugees (1.5 million)
and resident population (6 million) in Afghanistan. However, transport
and distribution difficulties are hampering the delivery of the
required volumes. Some of the food would have to be airlifted to
inaccessible areas of the country, in particular the central highlands
before the onset of harsh winter in mid-November.
The current adverse situation coincides with the planting season for
wheat, which accounts for 80 percent of the country's total cereal
production. With the population largely on the move, serious shortages
of inputs and a disruption of farming activities by military
operations, cereal production in 2001 to meet consumption needs during
2001/02 (July/June) is set to decline significantly. This would
further aggravate the already grave food supply situation in the
country.
When the conflict is finally resolved, mid-term agricultural
rehabilitation/reconstruction measures in Afghanistan will need to
address the reconstruction of irrigation systems, input supply to
farmers, farm power, rehabilitation of orchards, livestock and
forestry sub-sectors, extension and education and institutional
capacity-building. FAO has estimated that some US$200 million would be
required for the implementation of a countrywide agricultural sector
emergency relief and rehabilitation program.
Even before the events of 11 September, Afghanistan was gripped by a
grave food crisis following three consecutive years of drought and
intensifying economic problems due to continuing civil conflict.
The FAO report warns that rainfed wheat production in Pakistan is
estimated at about 541,000 tones in 2001, nearly 70 percent below the
average of the last five years and 62 percent below last year's
reduced crop. However, as about 90 percent of wheat production is
irrigated, the overall impact of the drought was not as great.
Nevertheless, total wheat production (irrigated and rainfed) in 2001
was estimated at 18.73 million tones, still significantly below the 21
million tones harvested last year. The total cereal production in 2001
is estimated at 26.5 million tones, 13 percent below last year's
harvest, the report says.
Pakistan is hosting some 2 million Afghan refugees from the earlier
conflict. However, refugee numbers are on the increase due to recent
events.
In Iran the disastrous consequences of three consecutive years of
drought continue to be felt in all sectors of the economy. A UN
inter-agency report released in July estimated that about 90 percent
of the population (urban, rural and nomadic) have been severely
affected. The shortage of water in rivers and the rapidly falling
water tables have resulted in an acute scarcity of drinking water in
both rural and urban areas. Large sections of the rural population and
their livestock in the affected provinces have started migrating to
other areas in search of water. An estimated 200,000 nomadic livestock
owners are reported to have lost their only source of livelihood.
In Tajikistan, drought, water shortages, dilapidated irrigation
systems and structural problems have worsened the food supply
situation this year compared to last year when a large deficit was
experienced, with food supplies remaining very tight throughout the
year, according to the report. The two main rivers, Amu and Syr,
feeding the extensive irrigation system of the country, have been
flowing at about 50 percent of the average levels.
Severe water shortages and drought two years in succession have
significantly impacted crop production in Uzbekistan, the report says.
"Water flows in the two main sources of irrigation, the Amu Darya and
Syr Darya rivers are reported to be about 40 percent of the average
flows, while record hot and dry weather conditions have increased
demand for irrigation water." In addition, high levels of salinity are
reported to contaminate the scarce water supply.
This year's total grain output is not expected to exceed 3.4 million
tones, about 500,000 tones less than the poor harvest of last year and
about one million tones less than in 1999 when production was
considered average. Wheat production is estimated at 3.2 million tones
and rice at 100,000 tones, compared with 1999 production levels of 3.6
million tones of wheat and 421,000 tones of rice.
In Turkmenistan, drought and irrigation water shortages for two years
in succession have affected crop production. Reservoirs fed by the Amu
Darya, providing nearly 90 percent of the country's irrigation needs,
have been significantly lower than the previous year, while the
Murghab river supplying irrigation water to Mary province has been
virtually dry for most part of the cropping season this year.
FAO tentatively forecasts grain output at similar levels to its
estimates of 2000, including 1.4 million tones of wheat, 50,000 tones
of barley, 20,000 tones of maize and 20,000 tones of rice. Grain
production levels were maintained due to some increase in area under
wheat. The worst affected areas are once again Mary province
(bordering Iran and Afghanistan) and Dashagouz (bordering
Karaklpakstan region of Uzbekistan). The cereal import requirement for
2000/01 is estimated at about 40,000 tones.
The Special Report on Afghanistan and Central Asia is available on the
Internet as part of the FAO World Wide Web at the following URL
address: http://www.fao.org/giews/.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/alertes/2001/SRAFGCen.htm
FAO GLOBAL INFORMATION
AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
|
A deepening food crisis in Afghanistan, which poses a serious threat of mass starvation, comes at a time when the food supply position in the neighbouring countries is also seriously undermined by a prolonged drought. This year's food production in Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan has suffered a significant reduction due to serious drought. The unfavourable food supply situation, which has prompted emergency food assistance in some of these countries, therefore gives little comfort to millions of displaced and resident Afghans who in the past could meet part of their food needs with supplies from neighbouring countries. Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been supporting millions of refugees from past conflicts but their capacity to cope with the new arrivals is seriously compromised due to insufficient resources.
Even before the events of 11 September, Afghanistan was gripped by a grave food crisis following three consecutive years of drought and intensifying economic problems due to continuing civil conflict. An FAO/WFP mission to the country last May found evidence of emerging and widespread famine conditions in many parts of the country, where people had exhausted their coping strategies by selling their assets and migrating in search of food elsewhere within or outside the country. The military operations since 7 October have triggered fresh waves of population displacement, aggravating the already dire humanitarian situation.
While the majority of the around 23 million Afghans are facing severe food supply difficulties, some 7.5 million most affected people are in desperate need of food aid. WFP plans to deliver 52 000 tonnes of food aid per month to feed the most vulnerable people, both refugees (1.5 million) and resident population (6 million) in Afghanistan. However, transport and distribution difficulties are hampering the delivery of the required volumes. Some of the food would have to be airlifted to inaccessible areas of the country, in particular the central highlands before the onset of harsh winter in mid-November.
The current adverse situation coincides with the planting season for wheat which accounts for 80 percent of the country's total cereal production. With the population largely on the move, serious shortages of inputs and a disruption of farming activities by military operations, cereal production in 2001 to meet consumption needs duriing 2001/02 (July/June) is set to decline significantly. This would further aggravate the already grave food supply situation in the country.
A decade-long destructive war with the Soviet Union and the subsequent civil strife for nearly 13 years have devastated infrastructure in agriculture and other sectors of Afghanistan's economy. The irrigation systems are in complete ruin, while agricultural services are virtually non-existent and farmers have little access to necessary agricultural input supplies. Thousands of hectares of prime agricultural land have been taken out of production due mainly to lack of irrigation and the presence of millions of land mines. Many communities have been cut off from the rest of the country due to the destruction of roads, bridges and other communication facilities. Fruit trees and forests, once a major source of foreign exchange, have virtually disappeared. Livestock production, another major export item and source of food as well as farm power, has been severely reduced. During the past three years, the country has witnessed a devastating drought which compounded the impact of years of conflict and brought a large section of the population to the brink of starvation. The 2001 cereal output, estimated at about 2 million tonnes, is about one-half of the production in 1998.
As a result of reduced output in 2001, cereal import requirements in the current marketing year (July-June 2001/02) were forecast at a near record volume of some 2.2 million tonnes of which commercial imports were initially projected at 760 000 tonnes. Given the current situation, commercial imports may be only one-third of the earlier estimated volume. Assuming that all of the planned emergency food aid of 494 000 tonnes be delivered by June 2002, the overall deficit in 2001/02 (July/June) is still likely to be of the order of 1.5 million tonnes of cereals. Only a massive mobilization of food and other relief assistance and its distribution, particularly to the vulnerable groups, will avert the threat of an impending mass starvation in the country.
When the conflict is finally resolved, mid-term agricultural rehabilitation/reconstruction measures in Afghanistan will need to address the reconstruction of irrigation systems, input supply to farmers, farm power, rehabilitation of orchards, livestock and forestry sub-sectors, extension and education and institutional capacity-building. FAO has estimated that some US$200 million would be required for the implementation of a countrywide agricultural sector emergency relief and rehabilitation programme.
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission that visited the country in May/June 2001 found that rainfall was between 50 and 80 percent below normal in most parts of the country during the last winter cropping season (January-March 2001). Last year's Monsoon rainfall was also more than 40 percent below normal. Consequently, rainfed agriculture and vegetation in the grazing lands were severely affected.
Rainfed wheat production, estimated at about 541 000 tonnes in 2001, was nearly 70 percent below the average of the last five years and 62 percent below last year's reduced crop. However, as about 90 percent of wheat production is irrigated, the overall impact of the drought was not as great. Nevertheless, total wheat production (irrigated and rainfed) in 2001 was estimated at 18.73 million tonnes, still significantly below the 21 million tonnes harvested last year. The 2001 rice crop, planted from May for harvest in October/November, was forecast at a reduced 3.9 million tonnes (milled) due to water shortages in irrigation schemes, compared to 4.8 million tonnes in year 2000 and the average of 4.6 million tonnes for the last five years. With additional coarse grains crop of about 1.9 million tonnes, total cereal production in 2001 is, therefore, estimated at 26.5 million tonnes, 13 percent below last year's harvest.
Overall cereal supplies will be just sufficient to meet the consumption requirements in the 2001/02 marketing year. Domestic consumption and other utilization requirements are expected to be met from current production and a drawdown of large wheat stocks from last year's good crop. Some exports of wheat due to earlier contracts are also forecast. Rice exports are anticipated to be lower than last year's volume of 2 million tonnes. However, the prolonged drought has seriously eroded the food security of a large number of farmers, particularly in Balochistan, parts of Sindh and Cholistan in Punjab.
Moderate to heavy monsoon rains in the last week of June and early July, particularly in the northeastern parts of Punjab and Kashmir, and in the last dekad of July in Potohar, the North-West Frontier Province and other northern areas caused floods which left a number of victims and hundreds of people homeless.
Pakistan hosts some 2 million Afghan refugees from the earlier conflict. However, refugee numbers are on the increase due to recent events.
The disastrous consequences of three consecutive years of drought continue to be felt in all sectors of the economy. A UN inter-agency report released in July estimated that about 90 percent of the population (urban, rural, and nomadic) have been severely affected. The shortage of water in rivers and the rapidly falling water tables have resulted in an acute scarcity of drinking water in both rural and urban areas. Large sections of the rural population and their livestock in the affected provinces have started migrating to other areas in search of water. An estimated 200 000 nomadic livestock owners are reported to have lost their only source of livelihood.
Tentative production figures for 2001 indicate a wheat output of 7.5 million tonnes compared to the past five-year average of 9.7 million tonnes. Production of barley, maize and paddy is also forecast to be below average.
Flash floods on 10 August 2001 hit the northeastern provinces of Golestan, Khorasan and Semnan, with an estimated 1.2 million people affected in Golestan, the most severely affected province. The financial loss in the agriculture sector (including livestock) has been estimated at US$23 million, and about 752 000 hectares of agricultural land were seriously damaged.
The country is supporting more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees from the earlier conflict.
Drought, water shortages, dilapidated irrigation systems and structural problems have worsened the food supply situation this year compared to last year when a large deficit was experienced, with food supplies remaining very tight throughout the year. The two main rivers, Amu and Syr, feeding the extensive irrigation system of the country, have been flowing at about 50 percent of the average levels. Precipitation levels are estimated to be about 60 percent of the average annual levels, in particular during the crucial months of March and April for the wheat crop. Agricultural inputs, particularly quality seeds and fertilizers, are in short supply. Agricultural machinery is also in short supply and inadequate to meet demand. In addition, about 40-50 percent of the water lifting equipment and about 60 percent of the heavy machinery used for canal and drainage maintenance are out of order, which have significantly reduced the efficiency of the irrigation system.
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission that visited the country between June and July 2001, estimated the total cereal production at 303 000 tonnes compared with 355 000 tonnes in 2000. Wheat output, the main staple crop, is estimated at 233 000 tonnes this year compared to 283 000 tonnes last year and 366 000 tonnes in 1999.
Cereal import requirement (mainly wheat) for 2001/02 marketing year (July/June) is estimated at 788 000 tonnes. After taking into account a projected commercial import capacity of 400 000 tonnes and pledged food aid of 43 000 tonnes, the uncovered deficit is estimated at 345 000 tonnes. A food deficit of this magnitude for an impoverished population, if not addressed, would have dire food security consequences. Due to a similar situation last year and lack of alternative sources of income, many households have exhausted their coping strategies and need emergency food assistance.
WFP has been providing emergency food assistance to 1.6 million people under vulnerable group feeding (910 000 people) and food for asset rehabilitation (250 000 people) programmes since October 2000. The current Emergency Operation is expected to come to an end by December 2001 when a total of 72 468 tonnes of wheat flour, 2 050 tonnes of vegetable oil, 1 200 tonnes of pulses and 700 tonnes of salt would have been distributed.
Severe water shortages and drought two years in succession have significantly impacted crop production. Water flows in the two main sources of irrigation, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers are reported to be about 40 percent of the average flows, while record hot and dry weather conditions have increased demand for irrigation water. In addition, the available scarce water is reported to be contaminated with high levels of salinity.
This year's total grain output is not expected to exceed 3.4 million tonnes, about 500 000 tonnes less than the poor harvest of last year and about one million tonnes less than in 1999 when production was considered average. Wheat production is estimated at 3.2 million tonnes and rice at 100 000 tonnes, which compares with 1999 production levels of 3.6 million tonnes of wheat and 421 000 tonnes of rice. The worst affected areas are Karakalpakstan and Khorzam autonomous regions, where the spring-sown area and output have fallen by half. Cotton, the main export crop, is forecast to fall far short of the official target output of 3.9 million tonnes (cottonseed).
The import requirement in 2001/02 is tentatively estimated at about 0.9 million tonnes, roughly 293 000 tonnes higher than the preceding year's imports. The Government has appealed for international assistance in the rehabilitation of the irrigation systems, desalinisation equipment and targeted food aid in some areas. UNOCHA estimates that nearly 600 000 people particularly in Karakalpakstan and Khorzam may face food shortages unless assisted. An FAO/WFP mission in October 2000 found that 45 000 people in Karakalpakstan alone had experienced severe food shortages.
Drought and irrigation water shortages for two years in succession have affected crop production. Reservoirs fed by the Amu Darya, providing nearly 90 percent of the country's irrigation needs, have been significantly lower than the previous year, while the Murghab river supplying irrigation water to Mary province has been virtually dry for most part of the cropping season this year.
FAO tentatively forecasts grain output at about 1.5 million tonnes, similar to its estimates of 2000, including 1.4 million tonnes of wheat, 50 000 tonnes of barley, 20 000 tonnes of maize and 20 000 tonnes of rice. Grain production levels were maintained due to some increase in area under wheat. The worst affected areas are once again Mary province (bordering the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan) and Dashagouz (bordering Karaklpakstan region of Uzbekistan). The cereal import requirement for 2001/02 is estimated at about 40 000 tonnes. Despite preliminary reports of food shortages and concerns over the tight food supply situation in the country, the Government has not appealed for any international assistance.